The Ruby Magician

Wyn stepped into the arena, completely blocking out the noise of the crowd. The only thing he could focus on was his opponent.

Lucy.

The woman stood with wooden axe in hand, looking seriously at Wyn. She wore a sleeveless, cropped top that could barely be called a shirt. He had to admit, she definitely looked the part of being a Climber, as she was strong and confident. Wyn noticed other Barbarians and classes wore similarly exposed clothing or armor, and wondered why they would choose to be so exposed. Though he admitted to himself she didn’t look angry or sad, just focused. “I’m sorry, Wyn. This wasn’t my fault.”

“Liar,” Wyn said.

Sonya raised her hand to start the match but paused. She lowered her voice so only Wyn and Lucy could hear her. “Everything okay you two?”

“Everything’s fine,” Lucy said. “Just a bit of history.”

“Everything is not fine,” Wyn said. “I was supposed to fight a Squire!”

Sonya nodded. “Yes, like I said, there was a last second change. Out of my hands, I’m afraid.”

Wyn looked to the announcer and took a deep breath. He couldn’t lose his temper. Not now. He needed to stay calm and collected to come out ahead. Lucy wasn’t a terrible fighter from what he remembered, and there was obviously a reason that she was shifted to be his opponent. Was it really not her fault? Did the Assembly have influence so deep into the city that they were able to change the setup of private guild trials?

That would be another question for another day. One he would absolutely get answers to.

Sonya quickly moved to start the match but neither combatant moved once it began. They just kept staring at each other.

Finally Lucy spoke. “Like I told you before, we’re not so different. I’m just as much a pawn as you.”

Wyn shook his head. “No. My father was a pawn. I’m only doing what’s necessary for you to leave me and my sister the hells alone.”

Lucy sighed. “I told you, I’m… look. Okay. Don’t believe me? Fine. How about a bet since we’re supposed to be fighting right now.”

Wyn looked around. He could see confusion on just about everyone. The crowd, Sonya, the judges. She already called the match to start, and they were just standing there talking. He wanted to bring attention to himself and his class, but not this way.

“Alright,” Wyn said. “I win, and you leave me alone.”

Lucy smiled. “I’ll leave you as much alone as I can. Instead, how about if you win, you get to ask me any question you want. Time and place. I win, you have to sit down, cordially, and hear me out. You can even bring your team along if you’d like.”

Wyn nodded. It seemed fair. She wasn’t asking for too much, at least not compared to what the Assembly could demand. And his group would come along no matter who won, and she didn’t say anything about stopping them from asking questions.

The moment he agreed she took a prepared stance and crouched. Wyn took that as his cue that she was finally ready to spar, and he immediately rushed her. While he had a plan against a Squire, his overall strategy wasn’t too different. He was quick and had more reach with his spear, which gave him an advantage. If he could pin Lucy into a corner and remove her ability to reposition, she wouldn’t be able to avoid all of his attacks and he would eventually score a hit.

Right before he closed the distance, Lucy rolled to the side gracefully and hopped towards Wyn. The move had her within striking distance right away, and she swung wide to try and hit him. He twisted out of the way before stabbing at her thigh, which she dodged without much effort. Wyn took a back step to give himself some room and began repeatedly stabbing at her, using his spear’s reach to his advantage.

To Lucy’s credit, she either dodged or parried most of Wyn’s attacks. He moved like a blur, using his training to either score a hit or forcefully reposition her with carefully guided attacks. He didn’t need his speed skill. And saving his energy be damned. He wanted a hit on her, and he was pushing himself to score one. She couldn’t move her axe quite as quickly as his spear thrusts, and eventually he made contact with her ribs.

Sonya called the hit. Lucy sharply breathed in and rubbed her side. Wyn didn’t hold back in his attacks, and even though the weapons were wooden he could still make a fair impact. A bruise was already starting to form on her exposed ribs.

Lucy took her place at the edge of the arena and expanded her chest with a deep breath. “You should know, Barbarians get better when they’re injured.”

Wyn’s anger was rising again but he paused. Did his attack hurt her enough to cause some sort of ability to activate? What could she be talking about?

After Sonya’s hand flew down to start the second round, Lucy exploded forward. Wyn was caught off guard from her sudden move and instantly began to stab at her, but she easily dodged them with a grace that looked more like a Duelist or Hunter than a strength-based Barbarian.

Was she holding back the first round? Or did that minor injury to her ribs actually activate a skill? She didn’t have any aura about her, but maybe some passive skills didn’t. John definitely didn’t and Wyn knew he had several passive skills.

Wyn found it was much harder to keep up with her, and his plan of keeping her on the defensive failed almost immediately. She ducked under one of his stabs and swung her axe at his stomach, and Wyn knew in that moment there was nothing he could do to avoid or block the hit. Lucy, to her credit, pulled back the hit the moment it made contact. It felt like nothing more than a light tap.

“Hit!” Sonya called. The crowd loudly cheered in response.

Wyn took a step back, trying to reassess. Lucy was definitely good, he had to admit. Her moves were both fluid and controlled, backed by a strength that would make John envious. It was obvious in her speed and axe handling. That meant she had a good foundation that grew better with her activated skills. She nodded to him and returned to the side of the arena for the next round.

Wyn walked over to the weapon rack and put the spear back. If she was going to be that fast, and his reach didn’t give him as much of an advantage due to her speed and strength, then he needed something to be able to block. He grabbed a wooden shield and long sword and returned to the match.

The start of the third round was similar to before with Lucy advancing quickly. Wyn decided to patiently wait this time. He couldn’t match her physicality, but he was more technically skilled. It was obvious she had more training than most, but he was confident in his own abilities.

As she chopped at him, he deflected the blow instead of choosing to completely absorb it. After watching John’s match, he realized that trying to catch attacks from Climbers who were magically strong wasn’t a good idea, especially since his own strength wasn’t equally enhanced. Knocking her blow to the side, he struck out with his sword and almost hit her right away, though she lunged to the side at the last moment.

Lucy retaliated with another chop straight down, but Wyn protected himself with his shield while he slashed at her. She ducked under it, which was exactly what he wanted. Stopping his momentum, he slashed down onto Lucy’s back and made contact.

“Point!”

The crowd grew louder with their applause this time, the back and forth offering an engaging spectacle.

“You shouldn’t be able to move like that,” Lucy said. “And staying so close to monsters without having any magical enhancements is a guaranteed way to get injured.”

“I’m not fighting a monster,” Wyn said. “And I have far more experience fighting people. I think I know what I’m doing.”

Lucy furrowed her eyebrows. Whatever she was expecting, it likely wasn’t that.

Before the fourth round started, Lucy walked over to the weapon rack and grabbed another axe. She eyed Wyn while she walked back, and the crowd started clapping in encouragement. Wyn looked over to Sonya but pointed at Lucy with his sword.

“Am I allowed another weapon, too?”

“With your sword and shield?” Sonya said. She hesitated then nodded. “Participants are allowed a secondary weapon, yes.”

Wyn mimicked Lucy by going back over to the weapon rack, this time grabbing a wooden dagger. He fitted it at the small of his back where he was used to having a backup weapon. He hadn’t needed it in the tower, but while at war it was both a comfort and necessity.

Lucy held her axes at the ready, one across her body and one raised over her head. Wyn took a deep breath. The woman was intimidating, and he had no doubt she was a fierce Climber. But he was also experienced, especially with spars.

“Begin!”

Lucy sprang forward and began twirling, her axes a whirlwind of attacks. Wyn leaned into one hit with his shield to deflect it, but the second he did she was attacking him with her second weapon. He rolled out of the way but she was on top of him instantly, putting pressure on him relentlessly.

Wyn gritted his teeth but knew he would lose. She was too fast. Too strong. And having two weapons gave her an advantage he couldn’t overcome. He had one last trick, one that might afford him an opportunity. Reaching for the dagger at his back, he prepared the move. But before he could try it he was struck with an axe on his back.

“Hit!”

Wyn ignored the crowd and slowly walked back to his starting position. Frustration was creeping up inside him but he forced it down. Losing focus would only guarantee he’d lose the match. But everything he tried Lucy countered.

It left one more option. All or nothing.

The two combatants lined up and the crowd was on their feet. Wyn tuned them out. It was just him and Lucy. Right now, in the moment, nothing else mattered. He had to beat her. Had to prove himself and advance, and show her he wouldn’t rollover and play so easily.

He saw Sonya lower her hand and held his shield up. Lucy trotted forward, both axes wide beside her. She tried a cross slash, trying to hit Wyn from both sides. He stepped back just out of reach of the wooden axe heads, then quick stabbed forward. She twisted out of the weapon’s reach.

Wyn readied himself. This was it.

Lucy let loose a guttural cry while swinging one of her axes straight down. Wyn sidestepped it while pushing the axe and her arm away with his shield. She was still moving faster, and he needed the shield to make up for the difference in speed. Otherwise she was bound to connect. As she started to chop with her other axe, Wyn dropped his shield and stepped into her swing.

The change in position threw her off balance, and she lurched forward awkwardly. Wyn tried to stab at her with his sword but she was still faster and blocked it with her first axe. The move put her further in an awkward footing, though.

Wyn then dropped his sword, wrapped a leg around her thigh, and grabbed her arm with both hands. He’d need all the strength he could muster. She was stronger, and when needing to grapple a stronger opponent leverage and positioning was key. He then pushed off the ground to force them both into a tumble.

Lucy’s axes were useless while they were grappled, but Wyn wasn’t defenseless. He rolled with her, pinning her down with a knee and drawing the dagger at his back, then put it against her throat in a swift motion. She still held both axes but was too caught off guard and too close to use them effectively.

“Point and winner!” Sonya yelled. The crowed erupted in a combination of cheers and applause, elated at the spar.

Wyn ignored the noise. He stared at Lucy, who didn’t look angry at all. Acceptance was all that was there. Whatever Wyn expected, it wasn’t that.

She continued to surprise him. Maybe she wasn’t completely lying after all.

“Do I wanna know where you learned how to do that?” Lucy asked. Wyn still knelt on her, the wooden dagger loosely held to the side.

Wyn shook his head as he took deep breaths. The match took more out of him than he thought. “Why are you so insistent on talking to me?”

Lucy cracked a smile. “That’s the question you want to ask me? You need to do better than that.”

Wyn stood up, offering a hand. She took it and pulled and nearly pulled him down to the ground. He was thankful she didn’t.

“I have more than just one question,” Wyn said.

“I know. And I’ll answer them. Honest to gods’ truth.”

“We’ll see.”

Sonya walked over and took Wyn’s hand, raising it in the air. “Please give it up for Wyn, the Ruby Strategist, who will be moving on to the next round!” The crowd once again showed their support, far louder for Wyn than anytime before.

Despite wanting to prove himself, he ignored them. He couldn’t shake his thoughts about Lucy. The Assembly. All of it.

What if she really wasn’t the true enemy? If that was the case, she could be a valuable ally. Was his anger at his father blinding him from seeing reality? If she was in a similar position as him, being indebted to the Assembly, then she could have useful information. Information that could save him and his sister.

Walking back to his group, Wyn accepted the pats and hugs of celebration from his friends. He wanted to talk it over with them. They’d help him guide him.

The rest of the morning continued in a haze. Wyn mostly thought about his situation and Lucy, and struggled watching the other matches. There were only a few left, and the winners moved on to what would be the semifinal round. There were eight participants left for the second tier group, and Wyn wasn’t sure how the final round was going to have four Climbers but this wasn’t his show. He just had to trust the process.

Both Wyn and John beat their opponents in the next round to move to the finals. While John barely scraped by, Wyn found his opponent was far easier. He knew that Lucy had the ability to make it to the end as she was far more skilled than his Warrior opponent, but he didn’t complain. Each victory only helped their chances of earning a spot in a guild. The only downside was that both he and John were now in the final round. It wouldn’t be the worst thing if they had to fight each other, but it wouldn’t be ideal, either.

He and John walked down to the arena while Sonya and the judges were huddled together. The match was supposedly starting soon, but a few people were changing the barriers of the arena. Where simple lines in the training hall marked the previous boundaries, now they marked off a space over twice as big with ropes. The two other finalists, Elaine the Scout and Nicholas the Templar, were also standing around waiting. They looked equally as nervous and confused as them. The crowd was getting rowdy, too, impatiently wanting something to happen.

Sonya stepped back into the middle of the arena once they finished the layout and raised her hands to address the crowd. “Thank you everyone for your patience! Without further delay, welcome to the final round of the combat trials!”

The crowd quieted at first but then roared again. They weren’t just eager for the final match, they were hungry for it.

“We have a special treat for the finals that we are sure you’ll enjoy! Instead of a singular match, it will be a four-way spar with all participants pitted against each other at the same time!”

Wyn cursed while the audience clapped and cheered. A four-way spar would mean he and John would have to fight each other.

“That’s right, it will be incredibly exciting! The rules will be slightly different, however. What will stay the same is how a Climber earns a point and that they must stay inside the boundaries, which have conveniently been increased. What will be different is how the winner will be announced! For this final match, a timer will be set for five minutes. When someone scores a point, the round doesn’t end. Instead, the Climber who lost that point will return to their starting side and wait on a 10 second delay before rejoining the match. The winner will be the Climber who accumulates the most points when time is up! Participants, please choose your equipment and pick a side!”

Wyn looked over at John who just shrugged and offered a sad smile. He understood. It wasn’t their fault they had to fight each other, and on one hand it was a good thing. It showed they were both good enough to make it to the final round, which would go a long way to the guilds inviting them to join. Wyn didn’t enjoy the thought of sparring against his friend, but he would at least try to win.

Unless they could team up and secure first and second place. The thought entered Wyn’s mind like a flash.

Wyn caught John before he walked over to his side. Elaine and Nicholas were already standing and waiting. “What if we worked together? Guard each other’s backs, score points on them. We could take the top two places!”

John excitedly nodded his head. “That’s a great idea! I’m in!”

They clasped forearms in agreement and took their places. Wyn felt far better, and relief calmed his nerves. At least he wasn’t alone.

Sonya took to the center of the arena while the four Climbers stood around her equally distanced. She smiled and raised her arm, then quickly lowered it. “Oh, I nearly forgot! In addition, the winner will be given a private training lesson under Gregory, Knight and co-founder of the Twilight Blades, as an incentive to really go all out!”

Wyn’s relief vanished. He looked over at John whose eyes were nearly bulging out of his skull. Wyn knew that opportunity would be too good for him to not try and win. He adored Gregory and looked up to him.

Honestly, it would be great for John to have that. He’d be a better Climber getting a private lesson by someone of Gregory’s caliber. And it would do wonders for boosting his confidence.

Throwing the previous plan to the side, Wyn didn’t care about second place. He now had a new objective - help John win no matter his own ranking.